Koyna's floating solar panels to generate 600MW power

Kolhapur: Floating solar panels will be set up on a surface area of 891 sq km on Koyna dam to generate power.

The primary survey for the project has already been completed and the next stage of planning is currently under way. Various departments, such as water resources, renewable power generation and transmission, are involved in the project.

The solar panels will be set afloat on the water to generate power. They will be connected to each other to multiply power generation. The energy so generated will then be linked to the state power grid. The Koyna dam is the largest hydro-electric power plant in the country with a total capacity of 1,920MW.

Dnyandev Bagde, the dam's executive engineer, said, "The project will be a first-of-its kind in the state. It will be a 600MW project. Challenges such as decline in water levels and complete closure of the project during monsoon were also considered while planning the proejct. I am awaiting further instructions."

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) conceptualized the project and has completed the primary survey for its implementation.

Balraj Joshi, NHPC's technical director, said, "We have been considering this concept for long. We will have to take permissions from other government departments to set up the panels and start power generation. Going by the huge size of the Koyna dam, we can easily set up 600MW power plant panels."

Rajat Gupta, the NHPC's chief technical engineer, said the project cost would be around Rs 10 crore per MW. However, once it starts, power generation would continue with minimum maintenance costs.

The dam already generates 1,920MW from its four stages, where turbines run on water. Now, the surface of the dam water will be used for power generation. Though it is located in the Sahyadri mountain range, it also has good exposure to sunlight.

Once complete, the Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company Ltd. will take over the project.

A sources close to the development said, "Generally, the dam water level starts going down and power generating stages also stop functioning from January. So, the Koyna dam's power generation capacity is not 100% used in the summer, when power requirement is higher.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.